WATCH: Herd Of Elephants Gather to Mourn Leader’s Death?

The emotional moment a herd of up to 300 elephants mourning the death of the leader is breaking hearts all over the Internet.

The elephants stayed close to their leader and appeared to be grieving after it was killed by a rival tusker in Sri Lanka.

Footage captured earlier this month near Anuradhapura, close to the Kala Wewa reserve, shows how the elephants softly caress the leader’s corpse in the immediate aftermath of the clash.

The tragic sight drew the attention of locals, who documented the scenes that followed the devastating event.

According to a wildlife official, the leader had engaged in a tough conflict with a tusker roaming around Kala Wewa for several days.

Credit: Newsflare

After being critically attacked by the tusker, the leader died surrounded by its herd.

Hundreds of elephants, including calves, had arrived at the location, to mourn their collective loss.

Elephants’ herd mentality can see them take great protective measures to protect a leader when they sense imminent danger. Incidents such as the mourning of the dead, however, are rarely witnessed, much less captured on film.